Varņa core_concept

⁸⁷ TRANSLATION When in the gita (melodic rendering) the svaras move (to and fro) in mutual7 (directions) along with the last one8 (of the preceding phrase forming the beginning of the succeeding phrase), or two by two, that is known as the (119) sañcārin⁹ (circulatory) varņa. (Anu. ⁶⁵) Just as in mālavakaišika-sāsā sanipa pani nipa nisā sādharīpā pani nini; in various (phrases) like this, on account of mutual movement (the sañcārin varņa is formed). (Anu. ⁶⁶) Where the svaras of the gita ascend one by one or with intervening gaps, that varņa is called ārohin (ascending). Just as in mālavapancama - pāpasa, dharī sama ripa mapa mapadha māmā pasāri sāsama māpā rigā sā dhani pāri mama dhani nini pāri mama dhani pādhani riripā — thus on account of 'mutual'10 (gapless) ascent or with a gap of one or two svaras the arohin (ascending) varņa (comes into being). Where the svaras descend in one order alone, that is called avarohin with (120) 'equal' (gapless) svaras (or) with gaps. pāma mamagā gaga mama mari riri ri pāmā mama papā papa pa māmama nini dhadha papa pama gagā riri ninidhā pāpā — thus is avarohin varņa on account of 'mutual' (gapless) descent or with a gap of one or two svaras. Hence it has been said - "These varnas ought to be known for the sake of the structuring" of alankāras and the like, as being born of svaras produced by the human body 12 (and) adorned by repetition13 (in the) three registers." (NŚ XXIX. 17) (Anu. ⁶⁷) How is varna brought about? It is being answered. When the svaras stretch the syllable¹⁴ due to the demand¹⁵ of melodic rendering through (their) steadiness, circulatory movement, ascent (and) descent, then varņa (pattern of melodic movement) is effected. Just as, in śādjī (jātī) the sthāyin (steady) varņa (is illustrated by) sāsāsā 16. Sancārin (circulatory varņa) is there, as in dhaivatī (jātī) — dhā 17 dhā nidha padha mā mā mā. Ārohin (ascending varņa) (is illustrated) in nandayantī — 18 gā gā gā pā pā dhapa mā, dhā dhā dhā dhā nī sani nidha, pā pā pā pā pā pā pā. Avarohin (descending varņa) is (illustrated) there itself (in nandayanti) with svaras that are equal (gapless) or are having gaps — 19pā pā pā pā pā pā pā pā, dhā nī mā pā gā gā gā. These varņas obtain also in the wooden20 (viņā), just as they are

183 VIMARŠA 6. Pada as textual unit ( with or without meaning ) is the basis for the discernment of varna. In a melody, the units of varna are conceived like the cups in which a liquid is poured; melody being fluid and flowing, its units have to be perceived in association with something concrete. Indian traditional thought on melody has tried to see varna as the primary melodic unit in association with pada, the more concrete textual unit. Each pada of a musical piece is either rendered with a steady ( sthāyin ) or ascending ( ārohin ) or descending ( avarohin ) or circulatory ( sancārin ) pattern of melodic movement and these patterns are to be identified in accordance with the accompanying textual units. (vide NŚ XXIX, 18) the melodic varņa 'extends' or 'stretches' the textual unit and thereby it (melodic varņa) is accomplished. 7. Movement of svaras in 'mutual directions' is another way of speaking about the to and fro movement. 8. The condition of proceeding in each unit of phrasing alongwith the last component ( svara ) of the previous unit has been imposed by BrD alone, no anterior or posterior text is known to have done this. Most probably the author had in mind certain spacific ragas and their melodic structures which he was trying to codify. 9. sañcārin lit. means moving around. SR (I,6.3ab) defines it as that which combines the other three. 10. 'Paraspara' or mutual for gapless movement of svaras is an expression peculiar to BrD. 11. Alankaras are usually structured with repetitive motifs and one or more of the varnas accord the pattern of melodic movement. 12. The human body being accepted as the primary instrument for rendering melody, it is being exclusively referred to here. Stringed and wind instruments would, by implication, follow suit. 13. Guṇa of the text has been translated as repetition in accordance with the spirit of Abhi Bhā on this verse. 14. 'Syllable' stands here for the component of textual unit and the textual unit itself. The melodic varna streches or extends the textual varna. 15. The varnas take effect according to the melody taken here as a totality. 16. It is not possible to say definitely that the second 'sa' in this triad is intended to be in the high register. 17. This whole line is reproduced from the notation of dhaivati in BrD. 18. These three lines have been reproduced from the notation of nandayanti in BrD and SR, wherever BrD is inadequate. 19. Reproduced from ibid. 20, 21. NŚ (XXVIII, 12,14,15) speaks of the wooden ( dāravī) and bodily ٠ ( śārīrī ) viņā as the substrata of svaras. 22. 'Sānīn' means pertaining to the body (bodily viņā). 23. Being the primary units of melodic movement, varņas are responsible for the construction or structuring of melody.

VIMARŚA ¹⁸⁷ 75. If ekakala is related to phrasing then sarigā and each of the other units will be taken to be forming one phrase each; if it is taken to be related to the duration of kalā, then the duration of each phrase will have to be taken as two mātrās; there also each kalā of time will be related to each phrase. 76,77. Identical with note 52 above. 78. All the four sa belong to the tāra-sthāna. 79. See note 47 above. 80. Samyuktam is used as an adverb, its implication is not very clear, most probably it has been used because the units of phrases here are not equal, they are 3+2+2=7. There is no other alaṅkāra like this in BrD. 81. Here the traditional rule of having a shake only on svaras with three śrutis seems to have been abandoned. 82. Kalā obviously means phrase-unit here. 83. Ekakula could not, perhaps, be understood as the first degree of kalā being of the measure of 2 mātrās. It perhaps indicates that each svara will be of the duration of one mātrā; that would make each phrase of the duration of seven mātrās which would not fit into the ancient tāla system and could, perhaps, be taken as the first indication of the advent of desi talas. 84. It is notable that BrD has not classified alankāras into varņas. 85. The names like tāramandra and mandratāra do occur in NŠ (XXIX, 31) but they have not been described. It is notable that NS has the name dipta for tara and prasanna for mandra. While BrD profusely uses prasanna for mandra, it does not even once use dipta for tāra. 86. The seven gitakas are described in NS XXXI. They are - madraka, aparāntaka, ullopyaka, prakarī, oveņaka, rovindaka and uttara. Apart from these, āsārita and vardhamāna have been extensively described in NŠ (ibid.); they are outside the above seven, but are very important on account of special tala patterns and association with dance. All these forms are prescribed in pūrvaranga (preliminaries of drama). Since no dramatic situation is required to be highlighted in Pūrvaranga, the music there could be autonomous and hence the units of text of songs could be stretched by the melody through alankāras, the comprehension of the meaning of the text of songs being not important there. 87. In dhruvās (songs prescribed for highlighting different situations in drama), as distinct from gîtaka, the comprehension of meaning of text by the listener is very important and hence stretching of the syllables of the text is not desirable. 88. The implication of this statement is not clear, because alankaras of the sthāyi-varņa are being described immediately after this verse. Abhi Bhā on NŠ XXIX, 33 says that the alankāras of sthāyi-varņa could be used at will (in dhruvās ); there is no restriction prescribed for them. 89. Brightening means movement towards high svaras. 90. Reverse order would mean proceeding from high to low. e le par Alle and the second